Surgical hyperextension frame



E. E. LONGFELLOW SURGICAL HYPEREXTENSION FRAME Jan. 18, 1938.

Fixed Aug. 19, 1935.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

a bar i ateiited Jan. 18 1938 SURGICAL HYPEREX'KENSEGN FRAME Earl E. Longfellow, Warsaw, 1nd, assignor to Harry Herschel Lciter, Warsaw, Ind.

Application August 19, 1935, Se 'ial No. 36,321

Claims.

invention relates to improvements in surgical hypei'extension frames and the object thereto afford adjustable support for a person h ving an injured spine by which is iaciIitated a iustrncnt of fractures or dislocations of "the 'eparatory to applying a plaster cast. An object is to provi ie an appliance for gradually producing hyperezrtcnsion to the torso of nt preparatory to adjustment thereof d eucasing it in plaster cast so that the spine will he sustained with proper curvature during convaloscence iollowing adjustment. Other oband advanta es of the invention will appear in, t following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which.-

Fig. l is perspective View of the appliance;

2 is a iragmentary elevation of one of the standards and corresponding ink-bar; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a supporting side and standard thereon.

illu rative inbodiment of the invention 1 sts of a basal formed of a. horizontal bar we ll at one end a 'tical standard 2 provided at its top with a cross head 3. The other end the car has an upturned portion constituting a. post in which is disposed a threaded adjusti rod 5 The base i is superimposed upon feet is consisting of cross bars which are secured thereto.

Upon the base is mounted a slide 1 having an upright standard 8 through which the adjusting rod 5 extends, there being stops 9 secured on said rod upon the opposite sides of the standard 3 arranged to permit turning movement of the rod in the standard and prevent axial movement of the rod relative thereto, so that upon turning the adjusting red the standard 8 and its slide l are moved upon the base toward or from the opposite standard 2 accordingly. The slide 7 has lugs ill between which ismounted a roller i! upon a pintle i2 the ends of which are secured in said lugs. The roller has contact with the base i and thereby the slide is retained in proper operating position on said base.

The standard 8 has at its upper end a. cross head i3 similar to the cross head 3 on the top of the standard 2, and each of said cross-heads has a horizontal shaft Hi, the ends of which extend through upwardly projecting lugs l5 located at the ends of said cross heads.

Upon each shaft M is pivotally mounted a link it having downwardly projecting lugs ll through which the corresponding shalt i l ea: tends. Each link bar has made therein a horizontal slot it. that through one side thereof and closed at the opposite side. The link bars are disposed upon their respective cross heads so that the openings of their slots l8 are faced toward each other. Upon each shaft M is disposed a spring 59 the terminals of which respectively bear against the corresponding cross head Zi---i3 and link bar mounted thereon so that said link bars are moved yieldingly toward each other to an extent limited by a jaw 26 on one of the lugs ll that has contact with a stop iii in the corresponding cross head.

A pair of hyperextension flexible bridge bars 22, preferably of spring i etal, are disposed with their opposite ends inserted in the link bars and are by manipulation conveniently spaced apart to expose therebetwecn the spinal column of a patient while posed supine upon said bridge bars and permit the surgeon to closely examine and conveniently adjust displaced vertebra. The link-bars constitute connections for removably securing the respective ends of the bridge bars to the standards 2 and 8 and are preferably arr nged to have tilting movement upon their longitudinal axes in the upper ends of said standards which constitute their supports. It is desirable that the link-bars are of such character as to cause the bridge bars when positioned therein to bow upwardlywhen the supports for the link-bars are moved toward each other, and to readily free the bridge bars from the connections when the supports are moved away from each other.

Operation In operation the appliance is placed upon a floor or bench (not shown) and, a blanket (not shown) is laid over the bridge bars and the patient is positioned supine thereon with the spine disposed lengthwise parallel with the bridge bars and in suspension in the space therebetween. The lengths of the bridge bars preferably are such as to afford support for that portion of the torso of the patient which extends from the clavicle to the pelvic regions. The adjusting rod 55 is then turned by manipulating its handle 55', causing movement of the slide 7 and its stand ard 8 toward the stationary standard 2 on the Due to the tilting movement of the link bars l6,

as the standards are moved toward each other, the bridge bars are flexed upwardly more or less dependent upon the travel of the adjusting rod 5, and in the manner hyperextension is gradually applied to the patient without material discomfort.

If desired, the bridge bars may be initially en cased with gauze and/or a lubricant, after which, a plaster cast isapplied soas to encompass the torso of the patient and the bridge bars. After the plaster cast has set, the slide is retracted on the base so as to permit the ends of the bridge bars to be released from the link bars. The patient, together with the plaster cast and the bridge bars are removed from the appliance, and subsequently, if so desired, the bridge bars may be withdrawn by sliding them endwise from the plaster cast.

I claim:

1. A surgical hyperextension frame consisting of a base having feet to prevent lateral tilting thereof, and provided at one end with a vertical standard and at its opposite end with a post, said standard having a cross head at its top, a slide on said base between said standard and post provided with means to retain the slide in operating position on said base and having also an upright standard provided with a cross head at its top, link bars pivotally mounted respectively in said cross heads, said link bars having corresponding horizontal slots that are open through the opposing faces of said link bars and closed at the opposite sides thereof, means to limit tilting movement of said link bars in their respective cross heads toward each other, springs acting to move said link bars toward each other, flexible bridge bars the opposite ends of which are removably positioned in the slots of the corresponding link bars and spaced apart from each other, and an adjusting rod threaded in said post operatively associated with the standard on said slide for moving same toward the standard on said base thereby to cause upward flexure of said bridge bars.

2. In a surgical hyperextension frame, a base member provided at one end with a standard and at its opposite end with a post, a slide on said base between said standard and post having an upright standard, said standards each having a cross head at its top, link bars pivotally mounted in said cross heads and having corresponding horizontal slots made in their opposing faces, means to limit tilting movement of said link bars,

flexible bridge bars the opposite ends of which are removably positioned in the slots of the corresponding link bars, spaced apart from each other, and an adjusting rod threaded in said post operatively associated with said slide to cause relative movement of said standards toward each other and thereby cause upward flexure of said bridge bars.

3. In a surgical hyperextension frame, a base member, a slide member on said base member provided with means for adjustably moving same relative to the base member, link bars respectively having pivotally supported relation with said base and slide members located opposite with respect to each other, the opposing faces of which link bars are slotted, and flexible bridge bars the opposite ends of which are removably positioned in the slots of the corresponding link bars and spaced apart from each other, said linkbars and bridge bars being so operatively associated with said members that upon movement of said slide member in one direction said bridge bars are upwardly flexed.

4. In a surgical hyperextension frame, two link bars each of which has a pivotal support therefor, said bars being disposed oppositely and in parallel relation with each other, the opposing faces of said bars having corresponding slots therein, means for adjustably moving the supports for said link bars relatively toward and from each other, and bridge bars the opposite ends of which are removably positioned in the slots of the corresponding link bars and spaced apart from each other, said bridge bars, link bars and the adjustable means being operatively associated so that when said supports are moved toward each other the bridge bars are flexed upwardly and upon movement of said supports away from each other said bridge bars are disconnected from said link-bars.

5. An appliance of the class described consisting of a base having standards thereon arranged for adjustable movement toward and from each other, means for adjusting said standards, tilting members on the upper ends of said standards, and bridge bars connected with and suspended between said members and adapted to be bowed upwardly upon relative movement of said members toward each other and to become freed from connection with said members upon relative movement of said members from each other.

EARL E. LONGFELLOW. 

